Whore

by Hughes, Michelle

  “Affording isn’t an issue. I need you at my beck and call, not to mentioning knowing that you’re in a good location will make you more efficient in serving my needs. Consider it a job perk.”

  I sat back in my seat trying to understand this complex persona of his. Maybe in his world this was how things worked, but in mine a boss didn’t offer to hook you up with a place to live. I was still in shock as we arrived at the ten story building.

  I knew little about the property besides the fact that it was considered one of top places to live according to a local magazine. I was sure that even with my new salary my budget couldn’t afford the rent.

  “Seriously? I think this place is out of my price range.” I wasn’t sure how to make him understand that people that lived in the normal world didn’t just go out and rent condos.

  “I’ve already explained that this is a job perk. I use the top floor for my residence during the week and I have three vacant rentals available.” He seemed exasperated that he needed to explain this fact and I didn’t know how to make him understand I didn’t feel comfortable with this.

  He urged me out of the car and quickly made his way inside. I followed him to the elevator still trying to decide how to explain my reservations. Stepping out on the ninth floor, we arrived at a door. He unlocked it and began giving me a tour. The place was unbelievable.

  The living room was completely furnished in beige and cream décor and a huge suede couch and recliner took up most of the room. A large screened television rested on the wall along with surrounding artwork that teased the senses.

  The kitchen was stylish and boasted of an island counter and stainless steel appliances. It was an amateur chef’s dream and that was something I considered myself as since I loved to cook. By the time I’d been shown the bedroom I was already in love with the coziness.

  “I really can’t afford this.” I was smiling even as I spoke the words because the place was truly amazing.

  “And as I said its part of the job perks. You only need to cover the utilities.”

  How was I supposed to turn down his offer? Living in this place would be like a dream came true and the money I didn’t need to spend on rent could be put back for my education. “What if you fire me?” The thought suddenly filled my mind and brought me out of the dreaminess of how easy this all seemed.

  “If things don’t work out for you then we’ll sit down and discuss another arrangement. Regardless, I’d give you at least ninety days to find something else. I believe that’s only appropriate.”

  “This is really generous.” I couldn’t stop from looking around. Part of me wanted to throw caution to the wind and stop worrying because I really was enamored with my surroundings. There was still a little voice in the back of my mind that said none of this seemed realistic.

  “I’ll give you the rest of the week to move in and we can work on your job presentation on your off nights.”

  That comment sent up all kinds of red flags until I remembered he’d said on more than one occasion he wasn’t interested in me outside of a professional relationship. Call me stupid but I nodded my head. Worst case scenario in my mind was in a few months I’d have to look for another apartment.

  He lifted a set of keys. Without hesitation he removed one and handed it to me. “All the utilities are paid up until the end of the month. You will have a payday before they come up again but let me know if there’s anything you can’t handle.”

  “Thank you Mr. Ross, I can’t tell you how excited I am to move in here.” I was ecstatic. In two weeks my life had went from desperation to finally feeling like I was making progress. The worry that had been eating away at me for the first time was fading away.

  chapter Four

  The Move

  Moving into my new condo was an experience unlike any other. Ashley, my best friend who worked at the coffee shop with me, hadn’t stopped talking about how lucky I was since we started carrying boxes in. Between her boyfriend Jimmy, and the two of us, we had what little I was bringing into the new place upstairs in a few hours.

  “I’m glad you found a place to stay. If the dorms allowed roommates you know I’d have asked you to move in.” Ashley put down the last of the cardboard carriers before plopping down on the couch.

  “Maybe by next year I’ll be joining you on campus. This place is really great though.” I sat down with her and Jimmy flopped down on the adjoining chair.

  “I don’t know why you’d want to leave this place and move into the dorms. There’s no space at all and guests have to leave by ten.” Jimmy popped the top on a can of soda and made himself comfortable.

  “You’re just pissed because you can’t spend the night with me.” Ashley grinned and grabbed the can from his hand taking a sip.

  I watched their playful banter and grinned. “Trust me I’d rather be with you guys there. This job may just be my ticket to making that dream a reality.”

  The doorbell rang and I quickly stood up and walked the few feet to answer it. A delivery man stood there impatiently. I hadn’t ordered anything and his arms seemed loaded down with food. “I’m sorry but I think you have the wrong place.”

  “Are you Laura Burns?” He gave a tired sigh and glanced down at the receipt then up at me again.

  “That’s me, but I didn’t order anything.”

  “If you’ll let me in I can sit this stuff down. There’s a note included with the order.” He rolled his eyes and shifted from foot to foot, reminding me that his arms were full.

  Opening the door I let him walk in and motioned to the island bar in the kitchen. He placed the food down and I felt my stomach rumble at the enticing scents filling the room. I’d never ordered from the place before so I had no idea what they served.

  The disgruntled delivery guy handed me the note and turned to quickly walk out the door. “Just a minute!”

  I tried to stop him but he seemed determined to leave. Shaking my head at his rudeness, I unfolded the note and gaped at the words. “I wasn’t sure what you liked so I ordered a few different items. I hope you enjoy your new home.” It was signed simply, “Taylor Ross.”

  “Damn! The guys feeding you too? Is there something you’re not telling me?” Ashley grabbed the note out of my hand and looked at me accusingly.

  I laughed out loud at her assumption. Yeah, cause I could be doing something with a man like him. I guess the rich and famous do housewarming stuff.” With a shrug I started unpacking the bags of food.

  This definitely wasn’t Chinese. Opening the platters of steak, shrimp, and other various entrées, I almost drooled. There was even a bottle of wine and I snickered. I wasn’t old enough to drink yet.

  “Hell this Ross guy sounds pretty cool.” Jimmy took the bottle of wine and unscrewed the top. Thankfully it didn’t have a cork because I didn’t own a corkscrew. He took a deep gulp straight from the bottle and Ashley and I both groaned.

  “There are these things called cups.” Punching him playfully in the arm, Ashley glared at him.

  “Hello! Nothing’s been unpacked yet.” He took another drink, and handed the bottle over to me.

  I wiped the top off with my sleeve before taking a tentative sip. Ashley and I had snuck our share of alcohol before but four dollar wine didn’t compare to whatever red liquid this was. I was used to overly sweet, cheap stuff and this was almost bitter. “I think I’ll stick with pop.”

  Ashley grabbed the bottle and took a sip. “It’s definitely fancy, but not bad. We started dishing food out on the paper plates included and dug in. The wine might be crap but the mouthwatering temptation of the steak was definitely better than what we picked up at the supermarket. Since I didn’t have to worry about rent, I’d used a little of my savings to fully load up the kitchen.

  While we stuffed our faces, Ashley grilled me about my new boss. I explained that I was still learning about the company but enjoyed some of the cool perks like the clothing allowance. As far as describing him, I left it at he was an attractive
man.

  “Holy hell girl you get clothes and an apartment with this gig? I’m working for the wrong people.”

  “For the most part I feel completely out of my league. Not to mention that he hired me as some trophy for his arm at parties. I mean honestly can you see me fitting in with high society?” I took another bite of the delicious fare and almost moaned in appreciation.

  “You don’t give yourself enough credit. You’re gorgeous, smart and treat everyone around you with respect. I bet you could teach those snobs a few things.”

  Jimmy chimed in with agreement. “If I wasn’t head over heels in love with Ashley I’d be pounding down your front door.”

  Blushing at their compliments I shook my head. “I have no idea how to relate to Mr. Ross. If the rest of his clients are anything like him, I’m pretty much screwed.”

  “See that’s what you need to work on. You’ve got no self-confidence. He obviously finds you attractive or he wouldn’t ask you to do the job. Just give them that smile of yours and his people will be tripping over their feet to make you happy.” Ashley continued indulging in her meal like it was the last one she’d ever eat.

  I knew arguing with her was pointless, so we continued eating and chatted about our week. By the time we finished lunch I felt like I needed to run for a few hours to burn off all the calories. Ashley had night classes so after clean-up she and Jimmy left me alone in my new place.

  The boxes were calling to me even though I was so full I wanted to take a nap. I decided to unpack and then give in to that temptation. Since the condo was furnished all I really had was my personal items and what my mother had left for me in the kitchen of our old house.

  I couldn’t believe this was really my home now. Whatever good luck had come my way, I was thankful for it. I finished with the work then took a quick shower. My new bed was screaming for me to try it out and I decided to give in.

  Ashley and I had stayed up late last night packing and after our early morning start I was truly exhausted. When my head found the pillow I was out in less than five minutes. I don’t know if it was all the work of moving in or my nervousness about starting full time with Mr. Ross in a few days, but my dream was interesting.

  Resting in a lounge chair on an isolated beach I watched as he walked toward me. His chiseled abs stole my breath away and the carefree smile on his face made me ache. Holding out a tropical drink he lowered to his knees in the sand and lifted it to my lips.

  My heart raced as I sipped the fruity concoction then nearly stopped when he replaced the glass with his lips. Lifting my arms, I wrapped them around his neck enjoying the taste of him. My nipples stiffened painfully through the thin fabric of my bathing suit. Rubbing them against his hard chest, I continued to devour his flavor as our tongues dueled. His large hand moved the top of my bikini over and cupped the aching weight of my breast. Gasping at the pleasure, I arched upward wanting to feel more of the delight his touch gave.

  My belly clenched as his lips moved over my ribs, then lower and I held my breath as his tongue traced the outline of my bikini bottom. Straining my hips toward his fingers I cried out softly as those long digits slipped underneath the fabric to caress my silken folds.

  He lifted his head and stared into my eyes with a mocking salute. “Such a pretty little whore you are.”

  I awoke gasping for breath, his words playing through my mind like a symphony. Trembling as my body ached, I was embarrassed at the wetness between my thighs. Clenching them tightly together I forced myself to remember that it was just a dream but still I felt the tremors of unanswered desire coursing through me.

  His cold words resonated through my thoughts and the strange need retreated. Since I’d never slept with a man before, being called a whore was pretty much laughable. I knew being angry with him over something as stupid as a dream was childish. But caught between the half world of sleeping and wakefulness I couldn’t help what I was feeling.

  I forced myself out of the bed and tried to remember that he hadn’t really spoken those words. Maybe subconsciously I was doubting myself for taking this crazy job he lined up for me. The truth was I had no idea how to portray the character he seemed to require and I was stressed out.

  If standing around and smiling was all he needed then maybe I’d be able to pull this off. Something told me that wasn’t exactly what he was looking for though. Maybe it was just the dream that had me rattled. Convincing myself that was probably it, I tried to force the negative feelings away.

  chapter Five

  Training

  Mr. Ross wasn’t at home when I tried to thank him for the meal and the week he allotted me for moving in quickly passed. I was shocked when he appeared at my door. I assumed I would see him until I returned to the office in the morning. Without thought, I invited him in and the moment he walked through the door he filled the place with his presence.

  “I trust everything went smoothly with the move.” His eyes took in everything before turning to look at me again.

  He was dressed in a white button down, rolled up to the elbows, and dress pants. The man had the ability to pull off this corporate casual look with an appeal that would make a magazine proud. “I had a little help, but yes everything went great. Thank you for lunch by the way, it was delicious.” I was so nervous with him here my eyes rested on the hardwood floors.

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’d like to invite you up to my place so we can discuss our schedule next week.” His tone was polite but impersonal.

  I nodded. The thought of invading his personal space might have left me worried if he hadn’t been showing such a nonchalant attitude.

  “Something else we need to work on.” A small grin found his beautiful features as I forced my eyes up. “You should really learn to speak your responses it helps clarify that you’re in agreement.”

  What was I supposed to say to that? He was my boss, if he wanted me to speak instead of giving a gesture while with him I would remember. Lowering my eyes again I found my voice. “I’ll keep that in mind.” It was almost like looking him in the eye and talking at the same time overwhelmed me, which was odd.

  “I wonder?” His voice trailed off and I had to force myself to look up at him again, waiting for him to continue. “It’s not important at the moment. I’m sure you want to enjoy the rest of your evening, so let’s take care of this now.”

  I followed him out the front door and into the elevator. I crossed my arms over my chest as we rode since I wasn’t wearing a bra. My self-consciousness brought back the strange dream I’d had of us or maybe it was the fact that it was chilly and my nipples were hard. I considered asking him if I could go change before we talked, but he didn’t seem to be looking my way. I could suck this up I decided.

  Within moments we were standing in the hall and he was opening his front door. When I stepped inside my eyes widened. He’d told me he used the entire top floor but I wasn’t ready for the elegance that reached my eyes. Chrome and glass abounded, mixed in with dark black leather in the huge living area. While my apartment was warm and cozy his seemed to scream of refined contemporary elegance.

  “Join me.” He didn’t wait for me to follow, instead he walked down a small flight of steps and sat on a huge, black leather couch.

  The glass and chrome table had several manila folders placed on it and he reached down to pick them up. Not wanting to doddle, I quickly moved to sit on the far end of the furniture and waited for him to speak.

  “You’ll have a hard time looking over the information I have from over there.” The smirk on his face told me he found the space I put between us amusing.

  Chastened I moved closer, still leaving breathing room between us. He opened up the first folder and began reciting information about a company he was attempting to acquire. Most of what he was saying went over my head and I sat quietly allowing him to speak.

  “What Mr. Morale’s business involves is really irrelevant to you, but I will need you to win his confidence.” He point
ed down at the older gentleman’s photo and I studied his features.

  If I had to guess, I’d gauge his age to be mid-fifties. He looked like a hard nut to crack with the stony features and coolness radiating from his almost black eyes. “Um how do you expect me to do that?” The man didn’t seem the type to do idle chit chat, and even if he did I had no idea what to talk about.

  “You’re a woman. Use the talents given your gender.” He chuckled softly at his own remark and I stared at him wide-eyed.

  “You want me to flirt with him?” Outside of wanting to slap his face for the suggestion, I had no freaking clue how to seduce anyone.

  “Just let him know that you find him attractive and he’ll be so concerned with you I can handle the other aspects easily.”

  “You’ve got supreme confidence in me if you think I have any idea on how to make that guy think I’m attracted to him.” Was he for real? What was I supposed to do whisper sweet nothings in his ear?

  “Miss Burns you’re a very attractive woman, certainly you’ve used your charms to appeal to the opposite sex before.”

  His eyes rudely moved over my body and I remembered I’d dropped my hands to my side. Pulling my arms back over my chest I glared.

  “Contrary to popular belief Mr. Ross, girls aren’t trained from birth to seduce a man.” My face was bright red as anger and embarrassment overwhelmed me.

  He rolled his eyes and stood up. “Something tells me it’s an instinctive gift in your gender. But let’s see how you do with a little practice. Stand up.”

  I’d understood that he hired me to be his visual side-kick, but chauvinistic pig came to mind. With an exasperated sigh I stood and scowled at him.

  “That look definitely doesn’t make me want to sell a million dollar company. Imagine you’re standing in a room with a man you desire and want to catch his eye.”

  I was standing in the room with a handsome man at the moment but I all I really wanted to do was kick him in the shins. “This is nuts. Acting isn’t a skill I’ve had much practice with.”